California officials tout historic drop in violence as killings fall to record low

State’s strict gun policies heralded as data shows 35% reduction in homicides between 2022 and 2024

California officials are touting a historic three-year decrease in homicides and gun violence that has led to the state’s lowest number of killings on record.

The number of homicides in California decreased by 35% between 2022 and 2024, with 2,304 deaths reported in 2022 and 1,768 in 2024, according data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The dip in homicides was most pronounced for teenage and young adult Black and Latino males, who have historically faced the highest risk of being killed or injured by gunshot wounds. Suicides, the most common type of gun deaths, also fell to record lows, according to the report.